"RSS, BJP are terrorist organisations," says Siddaramaiah, political war breaks out in Karnataka

The BJP has been demanding a ban on Popular Front on India (PFI) accusing the organisation of killing Hindu activists.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's statement calling the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "terrorist organisations" have led to a political uproar in the state. The BJP has now decided to launch a statewide "jail bharo" protest condemning Siddaramaiah's statement. KPCC working President, Dinesh Gundu Rao's statement backing Siddaramaiah's claims have only led to more protest and anger from the BJP in Karnataka which is scheduled to face assembly polls later this year.

"Hindutva should be in our hearts and not on our plates or the food we eat. What they (BJP) are preaching is not Hindutva. They are followers of Nathuram Godse. They are not Hindus, they lack humanity. They are like terrorist organisations, only Hindutva terrorists," Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister, Karnataka had said on Wednesday. The Congress leader reiterated his statement on Thursday despite criticisms from the BJP.

During a protest in Bengaluru on Wednesday, KPCC working PResident Dinesh gundu Rao repeated Siddaramaiah's allegations and accused the BJP of promoting violence in the name of Hindutva. "The BJP is becoming a terrorist organisation. I am making this serious allegation. Talk about empowerment, development, infrastructure and actual issues but the BJP does not want to. All they want to talk about is Violence, Hindutva and Manuwad.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Working President, KPCC said. On Thursday, Rao said that the BJP's demands to ban PFI were mere agenda-driven politics since the power to ban any organisation was vested with the union government. "Banning PFI or SDPI or Bajrang Dal is the Central Government's job, if they have proof then they can ban any organization. If we don't believe in a fascist ideology like Hindutva which produces terrorists and hate doesn't mean we are not Hindus, in fact, we are more Hindu than BJP RSS who use religion for politics," he added.

The BJP meanwhile has challenged the Congress government in Karnataka to arrest its members if the organisation was breeding terror. BJP leader and Member of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje have given all party workers a call to take up 'Jail Bharo" protests across the state on Friday. "We urge both Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao to tender an unconditional and unqualified apology. If not, this jail bharo programme will continue," Shobha Karandlaje said. The BJP has been seething ever since Congress leaders called the party as well as its ideological head, the RSS, terrorist organisations. "Who is the terrorist organisation in the state? It is the PFI which is encouraged by you. It is indulging in jehadi activities and I am not making these claims, the Kerala police, as well as NIA dossiers, are making these claims. You set the PFI, SDPI, KFD members accused in 175 criminal cases scottfree so they can create havoc in the state and then accuse the BJP?," asked Malavika Avinash, spokesperson, BJP.

Karnataka has been witnessing communal unrest for months now and the murders of Deepak Rao and Ahmed Basheer in Suratkal this year has only fueled the unrest further. While the BJP has accused the Congress government of turning a blind eye towards the murders of Hindu activists, the Congress has alleged that the saffron party has been using the unfortunate deaths to further Hindutva as their election agenda and polarise the masses ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls.

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